Change in Life, Change in Love
by DracoAdored
Summary: The summer after 5th year Draco is on the run and hiding in Muggle London. What will he do when the unexpected happens and how will he cope with a permanent physical change/disability to himself?  This story will eventually be H/D slash
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (even if I wish I did). JK Rowling is the owner, and this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by her and her publishers. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This is all for fun.

**Change in Life, Change in Love**

_Reminiscing of when I was living in fear_

_Is he here yet?_

_I feel sweat building on my upper back_

_Children are under attack_

_With every question mark_

_When testing starts_

_Hearts burn and stomachs knot_

_Inner organs begin to morph in_

_-**Sage Francis** "Oliver Twisted"_

Living as a Muggle. Previously, I had never thought those words would apply to me. In fact, things up until a week ago had been going perfectly well- being a high society pure blooded wizard, who could complain? I had enough money to last me several life times and I admit, I did like to rub it in every one's faces whenever I could, especially Weasel. But now I am rethinking all of that, rethinking everything I have been taught, questioning my principles and morals. I've gotten to a point where I don't know what to do and even my cocky exterior has been lost, my snide remarks finally meeting their match.

It all started the week of my 16th birthday. Scratch that, I suppose it started during my 5th year before daddy dearest got himself arrested. Voldemort was tired of Father not succeeding in tasks given to him so he came up with a contingency plan; if he failed at the Department of Mysteries and/or got himself arrested, then on my sixteenth birthday I would replace him. Voldemort needed a spy at Hogwarts and that would end up being me, whether I wanted it so or not.

The enthusiasm that should have come at the prospect of helping Voldemort in such a huge way was lacking in me, to say the least. I should have been excited about the trust he must have in me, eager to do my part for the cause. But the more I had thought about it, the more I finally realized I didn't want to follow in my father's footsteps. I didn't want to be one of Voldemort's henchmen, I didn't want any part in this crusade against Muggles and I most certainly didn't want to be in the thick of it spying at Hogwarts. While I still believe to some degree all the philosophies about society I was raised on, I didn't think killing was the real way to get it accomplished. After all, it won't make people see your point or join the cause. I started realizing this the week before I was to get the mark. What was I to do, if I couldn't go through with this terrible arrangement? And so I ran. The day before my birthday I flooed to Gringotts, closed out my personal account, and took off to live in Muggle London where no one would suspect a Malfoy to go.

Looking back on it, running was probably the worst thing I could have done, since no one goes against Voldemort. I realize now that I'm most likely second on his must-kill list only to Potter. I suppose that's one thing I don't mind being second at, unlike school with that Granger broad. And now here I am, living in a small dirty apartment within the Camden area, trying to make what little I had in my account for personal spending last until next term at Hogwarts. There I will hopefully be safe since Dumbledore and Potter will be there too..

Putting down his pen, Draco sighed. Though he found it helped to write things down, it still didn't come close to getting rid of the constant stress and worry. Draco knew Camden was one of the last places they would look for him, he had made sure of it. Narcissa, his mother, thinks he is in France, and no one would guess Draco had surrounded himself in a area that was heavily populated by Muggles who had worse Muggle fashion sense than wizards (and we all know that's saying something). They wore things that Draco, excessive pride aside, would never be caught dead wearing. Green spiked hair, super baggy bright orange pants and pieces of metal all over your face? No thanks, Draco thought with a disgusted shake of his head. The only good thing about this area is that his money can last longer.

The total amount he was able to retrieve from Gringotts was 20,000 Galleons, but apparently that's worth five times that when converted into muggle money, Draco was pleased to discover. Of course, with an upbringing like his, what Draco considers a small dirty apartment is what others would consider a stroke of luck: a nice, 2 bedroom flat above one of the many punk music and clothing stores in Camden. After paying the landlord for 2 months upfront, the remaining 95,000 pounds were plenty to get him some new outfits in order to fit in with people his age in the area.

A jazzy tune played out on the old radio beside him and Draco sat thinking, knowing that the threat of getting caught was still looming over his head, would probably stay that way for a while and having a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen in the near future. But tomorrow would bring a new day, a new day filled with shopping, and that shopping would (hopefully) be a way to take his mind off of things- even if it was temporary, because that was better than nothing. Downing his cup of tea (it had gone cold, he thought idly), Draco sighed before crawling into bed. He fell asleep knowing that he would wake up one day closer to the start of term and with one day longer he had escaped the threat of Voldemort under his belt.

**A/N:**

Just updated this chapter with the Beta'd version. Sorry for the short first chapter but had to get the intro out, so can get the plot started. This story will eventually be a slash story but nothing heavy or graphic. It will also pose some questions and issues that haven't been addressed much in other fanfiction stories. It will be a different type of story which will hopefully lead to a greater understanding with certain issues (you will find out what in the upcoming chapters). Thanks to my lovely Beta xxgabigailxx! Comments always appreciated, especially constructive ones, so feel free to comment and ask questions. New chapter will be up soon!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter (even if I wish I did). JK Rowling is the owner, and this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by her and her publishers. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This is all for fun.

**Change in Life, Change in Heart**

**Chapter 1**

_Heart racing._

_Head pounding from the screaming._

_Heart racing now _

_**Hot Water Music**__ "A Flight and A Crash"_

It's funny, Draco thought as he was laying in his bed while the sun was shining in creating beams of light, that Muggles aren't actually that bad. Granted all he really knew about them was what was ingrained in his head from the time he was a child. They seemed oblivious to the fact there were wizards out there, not out to destroy the wizarding world and not seeming to want to persecute people they thought were wizards. Hell, half the teens in this area looked like they could be vampires, with their pale white skin, black lips and black almost Victorian-esque dresses and coats.

He had been informed by Ren, the girl that runs the punk clothing store below his flat, that these people are called Goths and are not in fact vampires. She seemed pretty cool for a Muggle even if she looked at him weird when he asked if they were vampires. It had been raining heavily for two days straight, thus putting his shopping trip on hold. The furthest he got on his initial shopping trip was just to the store below him where he met Ren. It wasn't a complete loss, he found some tight fitted black jeans with silver studs on the back pockets and some t-shirts with cool graphics on the front.

Draco slowly stretched, getting ready to enjoy the sunny day and explore the other shops in Camden. Getting dressed, he was still surprised how comfortable the Muggle clothes were and how good he looked in them. Well, there is at least one thing they can do well he mused to himself, giving one last glance in the mirror before fixing his hair and walking out the door of his flat, making his way down the stairs to the shop below.

"All right, Drake?" Ren asked as Draco walked through the door and into the back of the store.

"It's O" Draco countered in exasperation.

"Okay, all right, O?" Ren replied with a cheeky smile. There was something about Ren that Draco liked and that made her easy to get along with. "Hey Drake-OH," she said adding a little too much emphasis on the last syllable of his name. "A bunch of us are going to The Worlds End for drinks later. Want to join us?"

"I'll think about it," Draco replied looking away, unsure whether it would be a good idea to go out.

"Oh come on! It's not gonna be a bender and not all of us are planning to get completely arseholed." Ren looked over at the guy behind the counter rolling her eyes.

Draco debated with himself, human contact and fun times sounded ace and it sounded like just what he needed, but there was a reason he rented the flat in Muggle London. He was running and hiding. He didn't want to be out too much, because he didn't want to take the chance of being spotted. "We'll see... What time?"

"Brill!" Ren exclaimed. "We are heading there after close. See you there!"

"Maybe" Draco replied. "Okay, see you later!"

Draco took in the sights, sounds and smells of Camden as he walked outside. Walking down the street towards the big market area that had many booths and stores with clothing and accessories, he found himself drawn towards a sound he'd never really heard before. It was a voice singing, and nothing like the music he knew. Nothing like the wizarding bands, and nothing like the classical and opera singers (like Luciano Pavaratti, and the Three Tenors, all of whom just happen to be wizards) that he grew up being exposed to. He found himself drawn toward the voice. The only thing he was focused on was the voice. _"Back and forth we always go, following the light, Over these broken cobblestones I call my life, Tell me, who's to blame? And how many of you feel ashamed, to say you turned your back in style?" _The voice made the words echo around in his head. As he got closer, the sight before him was just as beautiful and amazing as the voice itself.

Sitting at a weird looking flat piano, was a guy that couldn't be much older than himself. The emotion showing on his face as he sang matched the emotion in his voice. Draco stood there in a trance, taking the sight all in. From the black hair that was long in the middle and short on the sides (it reminded him of a horse's mane) and the bright, vivid green eyes, to the tight blue t-shirt with "music is my boyfriend" written on the front and loose semi baggy jeans. At that moment, he didn't care that this guy was a Muggle. Draco just knew he wanted to get to know him, and hoped that the saying on the shirt also indicated his sexual preference.

Draco knew he was gay by his third or fourth year. While all the other boys in his dorm talked and fantasized about girls, he started realizing he didn't have those same thoughts. He noticed he got aroused by other boys while in the dorm showers, or in the changing area for Quidditch games. Even though most at school thought he was some sort of sex god, those cleverly placed rumors were only around to take focus off the fact that Draco had yet to have sex. He couldn't have the truth about his preference to get out and back to his father… but now he was on the run and probably going to get captured and killed soon, he might as well have fun, right? He thought to himself as he was stirred out of his mussing by the stopping of the amazing voice.

Draco looked up and found the guy with his big emerald eyes looking back at him with a slight smile on his face. "Got any requests? Anything at all?" he asked with a wink in a voice that was almost at amazing as his singing voice.

"Requests?" Draco countered, caught off guard by the question.

"Yea, like songs you want to hear, or something you may want to do..."

"Oh, umm no thanks." Draco kicked himself for sounding so completely undignified. The singer looked disappointed but started playing the piano and singing again. Draco felt as if he screwed up, it was easy for him to flirt with people he didn't find attractive to get what he wanted, but when it comes to flirting with a guy he finds amazing, he messes it up completely. Draco took some money out of his wallet and dropped it in the box in front of him and walked away, deciding he was just going to keep his mind on the original plan of shopping.

He hadn't been at the market long and Draco had already spent quite a bit of money. He had found a really nice ring and necklace set with dragons and a black and silver belt which matched quite well. He figured if he was going to go out tonight he might as well look good and everyone knows accessories are the key. Draco was now at a store in the market looking at a light weight black and grey, plaid, short sleeve, button up shirt, not something he would normally wear, but he did like the feel and look of it when he tried it on. As he was walking toward the register to pay for the shirt he felt someone grab his shoulder. Instinctively he pulled out his wand and spun around. Even if he was caught, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

But when Draco turned around he wasn't face to face with a Death Eater, he was face to face with the black haired boy with the amazing voice. "Umm.. Hi" he said looking at Draco and then my wand weirdly. "Why are you pointing a piece of wood at me?"

Fuck, Draco thought, how was he going to explain this to a Muggle. He figured he would keep answer simple and non specific. "Instinct."

"Instinct tells you to pull a piece of wood out to protect you? Well, I guess I am lucky it's not a gun." He replied with a glimmer in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"A gun?" Draco asked, confused not knowing what it was. "Never mind," he quickly replied, not wanting to seem even weirder.

"I'm Aiden, by the way, and you are?"

"Draco."

"Nice to meet you Draco, what is that thing anyway?" Aiden was eyeing Draco's wand with curiosity.

Draco struggled trying to think of how to explain it and what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "A giant's toothpick." Fuck, Draco thought again, kicking himself mentally for being like a Gryffindor and speaking before he thought. He was supposed to be calm and collected, not blurt things out that didn't make any sense.

"A giant's toothpick?" Aiden was laughing though shaking his head. "You're odd, you know that? But that's not a bad thing, just makes you a bit more unique. There's nothing better than a guy who is cute, unique and funny," he said, winking at Draco again. "Anyway, I just came to give this back to you," Aiden continued, holding out the money that Draco had left in the box.

"Why? Was the box not there to collect money?"

"Oh, it was, but this is way too much. I can't take 200 pound from you."

Is that really how much I put in? Draco mused to himself. "Keep it, you deserve it. Your voice is amazing and you play that piano thing really well. You're hot, your eyes are.."

Draco shut himself up to stop horrified he was rambling and saying way too much.

Aiden looked over at Draco with his head tilted. "My eyes are what?"

"Beautiful, your eyes are beautiful." Draco was completely mortified with himself, suddenly finding his shoes very fascinating.

Aiden put his arm around Draco. "Come on, let's at least go grab some tea, my treat since you tipped me so well."

Draco just nodded, not trusting himself to answer. He was melting under Aiden's touch. Aiden walked Draco over to a tea house where they ordered their tea and took it to their seats outside to talk. They chatted for a while, getting to know each other and during that chat was when Draco made a vow to himself that he would do whatever he could to gain more information about Muggle society and history. He would try to forget everything he was ever told about Muggles by his father. If all Muggles were this smart and funny than Draco would definitely consider joining the side of the Light to help protect them and the wizarding world.

Draco looked at his watch (another Muggle item he bought that he loved) and realized how much time had passed. He had to get ready to meet up with Ren and the rest of the crew from the store. Quite suddenly, a thought hit him and he decided to act on it. "Hey Aiden, if you are not doing anything tonight do you wanna join me and some friends at The Worlds End?"

Aiden smiled at him. "I would love that, let's go!"

Draco laughed to himself with the enthusiasm in Aiden's voice, and with that said they got up and started walking towards Draco's flat while they continued their conversation. Draco was enjoying the walk through Camden as it was getting dark with the buildings being backlit by the sunset with the juxtapose of neon sings from the stores. The city seemed even more colourful by night, than it was by day. As they approached Draco's flat, they saw Ren out the front smoking.

Smiling, Draco waved, crossing the street. They stood in front of the wall of the building and Draco made the introductions. It turned out that Aiden and Ren knew each other. Aiden used to be in a band with Ren's ex boyfriend. Draco stood listening to them catching up and taking in the sights of the people around. Camden was definitely an area that got busier at night with all the bars and clubs around.

Draco was deep in thought, thinking about the fact that so far in the Muggle world, he had truly been happy, especially when he wasn't thinking about the people who were out to get him. Here, he didn't have to wear a mask all the time. He didn't have people judging him based on his father, and based on his name. Here, he could be himself for once.

"Draco!" He heard his name being called out. "Draco, watch out!" He became more alert with that scream and turned seeing two lights coming toward him at an alarming speed. Standing there, Draco froze, just staring at the lights approaching him. He felt someone push him, not even giving him a chance to pull out his wand. Time seemed to slow down as he felt something hit his leg causing his body to fly up into the air. He felt his body slammed against the wall, felt pain starting to radiate from his leg, canceling out the pain that was coming from his head. He heard a loud long sound coming from the car as if someone was holding down one note on Aiden's piano.

Aiden! He thought. Draco tried to look around him but found his eyes couldn't focus on anything. His eyes were getting heavy and it was getting harder and harder to keep them open and handle the pain. He heard someone yelling to call for help. He heard screaming, not realizing that the screaming was coming from himself as he succumbed to the pain. As he stopped fighting to keep his eyes opened, everything went black...

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has read the prologue and signed up for story alerts! Now the real story begins! Thanks to my Betas. Will have a completed beta version up soon, just didnt want everyone to have to wait super long for the chapter. Will try to have the next chapter done in a week or so. (It's hard to write regualarly since have a full time job and run a small clothing company so don't always have a lot of time!) Thanks for being patient and I hope you liked this chapter. Questions? comments? Feel free to ask. If you don't want to rite a review, you can always send me a message here or email me at _DracoAdored at yahoo dot com_. Feedback is always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter (even if I wish I did). JK Rowling is the owner, and this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by her and her publishers. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This is all for fun.

**Change in Life, Change in Love**

**Chapter 2: Change of Life**

A silent dance that we did into this hospital bed

Hear voices from another room

"It happens all the time"

… the leaves fallen

counting down, days to live

_**Thursday "Cross Out The Eyes"**_

Black robes billowed in the wind caused by the figure who was walking quickly towards the Headmaster's office. Not bothering to knock, he stormed in, making the door hit the wall loudly causing the Headmaster turn around and the portraits of the past headmasters to stare towards the door.

"We have a serious problem" Snape said before the Headmaster could say anything. "Draco is missing and the Dark Lord is after him."

The twinkle left Dumbledore's eyes as he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you tell me everything from the beginning, Severus" Dumbledore sighed.

Snape went on to fill in the Headmaster about the agreement Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort had made regarding Draco. He continued filling in the story of how Draco took off, and no one knows where he is. It was initially thought Draco was in France, in one of the Malfoy homes. Voldemort had sent Death Eaters to each of the homes in the search for Draco. The houses had been torn apart. The Dark Lord also tried tracing Draco's magical signature, but much to his surprise, the trace had turned up nothing. The only lead Severus had was that Draco had withdrawn all the money from his private/personal account.

"We can't let him find Draco..." Severus said softly.

"We'll find him Severus; I'll get the Order on it as we speak." Dumbledore stood up walking to the fireplace to contact everyone he could.

Ren sat in the white sterile room, watching the figure who was laying in the bed. It had been two days since Draco had been brought by ambulance to the hospital following the accident and he still hadn't woken following the surgeries the doctors did to try and fix his injuries. Even though she had only known Draco for several days, she felt obligated to be there when he woke up. Having experience of being in hospitals, she knew what it was like waking up in the hospital alone, confused, and not knowing what was going on. Ren didn't want that to happen to Draco. The repetitive sound of the ventilator and heart monitors attached to Draco, created a steady beat in the background.

Ren had been uncertain of what to do. The night of the accident and the next morning, they weren't letting visitors in to see Draco so she went back to the store and up to Draco's flat. She knew Draco was probably running from something. A 16 year old living by himself; not mentioning anything about family or friends, not associating with many people, the signs were there. She had known many people that had been in his place, including herself and Aiden. Ren had thought even if Draco is running from something, there has to be at least one person out there looking for him. One person who would want to know what had happened to Draco. She felt guilty for going into Draco's flat, but she wanted to find anything that would indicate who she could contact on Draco's behalf.

But what she had found raised even more questions. Once in the flat, she was surprised to find a lack of personal objects on the walls, or on display. Not even any posters or artwork. By the bed there was an old wooden trunk sitting open. In the trunk sat wizarding robes with the crest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As she saw these things, other things started making sense. How naïve he had seemed to be about the most basic of things. She knew what she had to do, but she didn't know at the time if she could do it.

This was what she ran away from. This was why she was no longer in contact with her family. Her parents were Muggleborn wizards. Her brother was a wizard, but her? She was a squib. All her life she felt like she was out of place/ She felt like a burden and didn't feel like she belonged in her own family. Her parents were proud to be wizards, and put their Muggle past behind them, immersing themselves with magic and the wizarding world. This left Ren feeling completely alone and unwanted. Her parents had consistently ignored her, leaving her to do the work of house elves. She had had enough, and at the age of 15, she left home and made a life for herself and she hadn't looked back until now. She wasn't about to contact her parents, but she could contact her brother. He had helped her whenever he could at home.

Ren had gone to her flat to look deep in the bottom of the box she hadn't opened since she left her family 12 years before and found what she had been looking for. She pulled out the small wand her brother had given her for emergencies only. She stood in the middle of her living room and spoke the spell her older brother had taught her when she was young, hoping what little magical core she had would make the spell work. Ren started pacing back and forth while waiting for her brother. She had begun praying that it would work and her brother would show up. After 20 minutes of pacing she had given up and decided to go back to the hospital vowing to help Draco with everything that layed ahead of him. Just as Ren had gotten to her front door she heard a loud pop behind her. She spun around, startled by the noise.

"Lucas?" Ren asked softly as she looked at the person in front of her.

"Lauren, its been so long..." Lucas replied. "What**'**s wrong, what has happened?"

Ren took a deep breath and told him about Draco, and what she found out about him. Lucas looked at her with concern clearly on his face. Lucas had an idea who she was talking about based on the description she gave him. It was the person he and others in the Order had been looking for on Dumbledore's orders. The person that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was looking for as well. He had to get back and inform the other members of his location so they could get him to safety.

"Have the Muggle doctors done anything for his injures yet?"

"His injuries were pretty bad" Ren said sadly. "His arm was broken pretty bad and they had to put a plate and screws in to fix the bones. He has some bruised ribs and they had to..." Ren trailed off, feeling sad and semi-guilty about what happened to Draco. Lucas lifted Ren's chin slowly and carefully.

"They had to what?" He asked kindly

"T-They had to amputate his leg" Ren replied as the color drained from Lucas' face. Lucas knew what that meant. He knew Medi-wizards could not fix what Muggle doctors did. This would be a complete change in life for Draco. If they could have gotten him to St. Mungo's earlier, they could have repaired the injuries to Draco's leg. They Could have used Skele-Mend on his leg to heal the break, no matter how bad. But since Muggle doctors removed the leg, the only thing Medi-wizards could do was speed the healing process along.

"Thanks for contacting me Lauren," Lucas said. "You go stay with Draco so he has someone there when he wakes up. I'll be back with others"

Ren walked back to the hospital, and sat in the chair next to Draco's bed. In the four hours since she arrived back at the hospital, there was no sign of her brother or the 'others' that he mentioned. She was beginning to wonder again if she had done the right thing. Something about how he spoke made her feel Lucas knew more about Draco and what he was running from then he had told her.

As she sat there thinking and pondering things over she heard a soft moan. Ren looked up at the hospital bed, and saw Draco's eyes slowly flicker open, followed by another moan.

"Shhh... Draco, hold on let me get a doctor" She said to him as his eyes focused on her with a look of pain and confusion.

Draco stared up at the ceiling as Ren left him all alone. He was confused. Everything seemed really cloudy and he couldn't focus his thoughts in order to figure out what was going on. He felt his whole body throbbing, a dull pain in his leg and arm slowly getting worse. There was a pounding in his head and the sound of the door being opened didn't help. He saw Ren as she sat down next to him, gently grabbing his hand, and softly glided her fingers along the back of his hand. It was then that he noticed small tubes going into his arm just below his elbow. That made him even more confused and scared.

"How are you feeling?"

Draco snapped his head toward the sound of the voice, wincing and moaning at the pain that had shot down his neck. He looked at the woman confused, not knowing who she was and still not knowing what was going on and where he was. As if she sensed Draco's thoughts she continued.

"You are in the hospital. You were in a very bad car accident. A doctor will be here in a minute to talk to you about your injuries. How is the pain?"

Draco tried to reply but all that came out was a hoarse whisper. Before he could try again, there was a glass of water and a straw next to his head. Draco took a few small sips, before he tried speaking again.

"My arm and leg hurts and it is hard to breath" He said slowly.

The nurse simply nodded and turned a dial connected to one of the tubes going into his arm. Seeing this Draco panicked, trying to pull the tubes from his arm, only to find his arm wrapped in bandages and immobilized. Draco panicked even more, looking over at Ren with a look of confusion, pain and a little betrayal. What was dripping down the tube into his arm? Was it some kind of potion? Is that why he was feeling lethargic? Draco's mind was spinning. He didn't know what to think. Draco closed his eyes and tried to get control over this thoughts and how he ended up in this place. Draco heard the door open again and looked at the man who walked in wearing a white coat.

"Draco is it?" The man said "I'm Dr. McAllister, I am just going to check and see how injuries are healing and Nurse Tanya here will re-bandage the injuries, okay?" Draco slowly nodded, as he eyed the doctor critically.

"Good," the doctor continued. "First I am going to check your arm. Your arm was badly broken and we had to do surgery to put in a plate and screws fix the break."

Draco watched as his arm was unbandaged. He saw the long deep cut on his arm that looked like someone had taken a needle and thread to it and sewed the skin together. He was stunned. In what he has experienced up until then in the Muggle world, things were advanced. Devices that allowed people to talk to each other where ever they were, the car things that people drive to get around, but this was barbaric. Surely there were other ways to fix his arm other than sewing the skin together like it was some sort of fabric. Draco turned away from looking at his arm as they were wrapping it up again. He felt sick. He felt scared, and he felt upset. He blinked away the tears that were welling up in his eyes. Ren saw this and leaned over to Draco, as she wiped the few tears away. She felt protective over him. He looked so young, so innocent, so vulnerable laying there in the hospital bed. Draco closed his eyes, and wished this was all a bad dream that he could wake up from. This can't be happening, can it? He thought to himself. When Draco opened his eyes again, he saw the doctor standing by his waist.

"Now the injuries to your leg were much worse than those to your arm. Forgive me for being blunt, but your leg was almost completely severed at the scene of the accident. When you arrived here, we had no choice but to do amputation surgery. I'm really sorry. But with time and practice, you should be able to use a prosthetic leg with no trouble..." Dr. McAllister said looking at Draco with a look of encouragement.

Draco was in even more of a shock. The words of the doctor were running through his head: Leg, Severed, Amputation, Prosthetic. What did the doctor mean. His leg was gone? It couldn't be, Draco thought. It couldn't be because he could still feel pain in his leg. He could feel pain in his toes, so how could his leg be missing. Draco shook his head. Stupid Muggles he thought, how can he not know what he is talking about. Draco smirked at the doctor.

"If my leg is gone, why the bloody hell can I still feel it?" Draco asked bitterly

"That is what is known as phantom pain or phantom sensation." The doctor replied nicely, ignoring the bitterness in Draco's voice. "The brain thinks the leg is still there and misreads the nerve impulses. The phantom pain should die down as the leg heals, but phantom sensation will come and go. How often it does, varies for each person."

Draco just rolled his eyes, ignoring the doctors explanation. Dr. McAllister knew that Draco didn't believe him. Draco was in denial. Most of his patients who go through things like this are at first. He adjusted Draco's hospital bed so Draco was propped up more. He watched Draco with concern as he pulled down the sheet so he could check on Draco's residual limb, and allow the nurse to rebandage it.

As the sheet was pulled away, Draco looked down in shock. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly is terrified shock. What he saw when he looked down, all that was left of his leg was a bandaged 'stump'. It ended upper mid-thigh. It was all true, Draco thought. They really did take his leg... The anger started to build inside him.

"What the fuck did you do to me you stupid Muggle," Draco spat heatedly at the doctor. "What gave you the right to disfigure me? I'm a fucking cripple." Draco continued to scream lividly at the doctor. Ren tried to calm Draco down, putting her hand softly on Draco's arm. That had only made things worse, as it pulled Ren into his anger.

"How could you let them do this to me?" Draco asked her with hurt and anger clearly etched on his face. "I thought you were my friend. How could you let them make me a freak? How could you let them..." He pleaded to her. He saw the nurse approaching him. "Stay the fuck away. Don't even think about touching me. You have all done enough damage as it is" Draco yelled, face turning red.

When the nurse still continued to approach him he started struggling in bed, ignoring the pain it caused in his arm chest and leg. Draco kept yelling despite the fact his voice was going coarse. The yelling turned into sobs. He was scared. Scared that he was now vulnerable. Scared he was an easy target. How can he fight back? How can he stay on the run from the Dark Lord. He knew this was it. This was the beginning of the end. He knew that he would be found soon. Draco started counting down his days to live. He started to get drowsy and the pain started to fade away. He looked and saw the doctor removing a needle from one of the tubes connected to his arm.

"I just gave you a mild sedative to help you calm down and take the pain away," Dr. McAllister replied to the questioning look in Draco's eyes. Draco just wanted it all to be over. He was ready to let the sedative take over him, until the door to his hospital room burst open. A black cloaked figure walked in and Draco heart sunk in despair. This was it. He would be taken to the Dark Lord and be killed, especially since he would be of no use in his current condition.

"Step away from him" The figure darkly demanded, causing the people in the room to jump in fear. Draco met the face of his Potion's Professor, who was also his godfather, and who was also a member of the Dark Lord's inner circle. Draco closed his eyes and prayed. Even in his current condition, he didn't want to die by the hands of Voldemort. He prayed for safety. He even prayed for Potter's help. Anything that would help him out of this mess.

Draco didn't hear the reassuring words Snape drawled to him. He didn't hear his godfather tell him he was taking him to the Order's Headquartes, to Dumbledore. Draco didn't see the soft look of pity Snape gave him, after doing a once over of the permanent injuries that will change Draco's life forever, thanks to those Muggles. He just felt the tug and pull of the Portkey, thinking for sure he would be entering certain death, as the sedatives had taken over pulling him into a dreamless rest.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter (even if I wish I did). JK Rowling is the owner, and this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by her and her publishers. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This is all for fun.

**Change in Life, Change in Love**

**Chapter 3: Promise You**

_Praying that tomorrow things won't be this way  
Things will get better this I promise you  
And I know that you won't feel this way forever  
Things will get better this I promise you._

_**-Spoken "Promise"**_

It had been five days since Draco had been removed from the Muggle hospital. He still had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he was in a dark and dingy room, in a pretty comfortable bed. There had been a miserable house elf that kept going on about Mudbloods and how his master wouldn't be pleased. That did nothing to alleviate his worry about where he was at, and about his safety. Draco had been having nightmares, and nightmares mixed with pain and the realization when he awoke that his leg really was gone, does nothing to calm a person. The one relief was the calming vibes that seemed to hit him just after the nightmares, but when he awoke, he was still alone. No one to be seen. Through all this Draco was scared - he had no idea what to expect. He just wanted to see a person, to know he wasn't the only one there. Draco had turned as he noticed light coming into the room as the door slowly opened. 'Aiden...?' was his first thought as he saw the black haired boy sticking his head through the crack of the open door.

_ hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd_

Harry had been brought to Grimmauld Place by Dumbledore, three weeks into his stay with the Dursleys. While he was glad to be away from them, all he wanted to do was sulk alone in his room. He wasn't in the mood for Dumbledore, or anyone for that matter. The past year at Hogwarts had been one he wished he could do over. Things had been going so well until that night in the Department of Mysteries. Until the night Sirius was killed. Harry lost track of the amount of times he cursed fate, God, and any other deity he could think of for taking away the one person that finally made him feel like he had a real family.

Dumbledore had explained to Harry that something had happened, and Draco was now on the side of the light, and staying at Grimmauld Place. Harry was torn on how to feel about this. This was the one person that made his life hell almost as much as Voldemort himself did. On the other hand, this was also the one person he had become almost obsessed with. There was something about him that Harry liked, that gave Harry goosebumps whenever he caught sight of Draco, and probably the same thing that made Harry start to love the fights, just so he could interact and have contact with him.

Draco was in a hidden room on the first floor. Harry had talked to Dumbledore about moving Draco to a different room because it's location reminded Harry too much of when he was forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursley's. During the days, Dumbledore and Snape would stop by and check on things, but at night it was just Harry, Draco and Kreature. Every night Harry woke up to Draco's screams and every night Harry would go down and try to comfort him. Harry would stay with Draco until his crying quieted down. Harry had always left before he became aware of another presence in the room. He figured it would just make things worse for Draco's mood and adjustment if his were to see his enemy sitting at his bedside.

Thinking of ways to help Draco took Harry's mind away from his guilt about Sirius. Harry had already formulated a few plans and had some ideas of ways to make mobility easier for Draco in the future, but he would need some help. Harry wasn't sure how to bring up the ideas to his friends of how to help Draco. After all, Draco had been mean to them as well and he doubted his friends had the same feeling for Draco that he secretly did. Watching Draco while he was sleeping, even during the nightmares, helped Harry think. He knew it sounded sort of creepy, but he enjoyed watching Draco sleep, and watching over him at night. He saw a side of Draco he never thought he would see: vulnerable, scared, and confused.

_ hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd_

Harry had just seen Dumbledore off and decided to check on Draco (something he couldn't get enough of doing). Harry walked up to the door of Draco's room and slowly opened the door to peek his head in.

"Aiden?" Draco's whispered question stopped Harry in his tracks. Harry didn't know what to do, so he didn't do anything.

"Aiden, is that you?" Draco asked a little louder.

"No, it's not...," Harry replied after he took a deep breath for confidence.

"Who are you then? Where am I?"

"You're in a safe place. You're in a house I just inherited." Harry decided to be honest, but was too afraid to answer the first question. "Do you need anything? I can have Kreature bring you something."

'Kreature,' Draco thought to himself, 'that must be the name of the house elf. That meant, judging by what the house elf would mention, that this house belonged to a pureblood and that the person he was talking to was pureblood.'

"Do you want some water?" Harry asked when Draco had gone silent.

"No, I'm fine." Draco was trying to piece the puzzle together and figure out where he was exactly and who this wizard was. Draco recognized the voice, but he couldn't place it. He knew the wizard must be around his age, but that is all he knew.

"Anything I can do for you?" Harry asked hopefully, his confidence was slowly building as he thought about how this was the first time in years he and Draco had a normal conversation. This was the first time Draco's voice was directed to him without a hint of malice. Harry knew, of course, that this would probably change once Draco knew who he was talking to.

"Where are we?" Draco was trying to get more pieces to the puzzle.

"London. Not to far from the Muggle hospital you were in."

"Oh" was all Draco said. That didn't help him. The only wizarding family he knew of that had a house in London was his mother's extended family, the Blacks. _[_

"Well if you don't need anything I'll let you be." Harry didn't want to push his luck with this conversation. He turned from the door and was about to close it when heard a pain filled yelp. He looked to see Draco's hands reaching out to his leg. Without thinking Harry ran to Draco's bedside to help him.

"Are you okay?" Concern was evident in Harry's voice, as he quietly cast a spell to relieve some of Draco's pain.

"Yes..." Draco gritted through the pain that filled his leg. Draco had lost count of the amount of times he has had pain in parts of the leg that aren't there. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this!"

"Missing a leg?"

"No," Draco replied. "Well that too, but I mean, having pain in my foot when there is no foot or lower leg there. It feels like..." Draco trailed off, looking over at the person kneeling at the side of his bed. Surprised at the face he saw...

"POTTER! What the fuck?" Draco shouted. His head was spinning. Snape took him from the Muggle hospital and brought him to Potter? But Snape worked for Voldemort..._ [_

"What the fuck is going on?" Draco continued.

Harry knew now was probably the time to tell Draco everything. Tell Draco about Snape being a spy and the hunt to find Draco before Voldemort, and then finding out from a new Order member that Draco was in an accident and in hospital. Harry just wasn't sure if it was his business to tell Draco about Snape being on the side of the light, but he also knew that Dumbledore said Draco was now on their side, so he made the decision to tell Draco everything he knew.

_ hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd_

Draco sat in silence as Harry finished filling him in on everything that happened. Draco was seeing him in a new light. He could have easily fed him some crap or not said anything at all but Harry had told him everything. He also took some of Draco's pain away when he didn't need to. This had lead Draco to question what he truly knew about the person Harry was. Draco always had some sort of feelings for him. Ever since that day in Madam Malkin's he knew he had to get to know Harry. Draco had thought everything was going great and he would have a new friend, but then Draco opened his mouth and spewed some of the pureblood rhetoric he was taught since before he could remember. That ruined all chances of them becoming friends. Draco thought when he was younger that since the couldn't be friends, next best thing would be enemy's. He could still have contact with Harry in some way and things escalated from there. Now was a chance for Draco try and start over, hopefully this time they could actually become friends. He knew he would need a lot of moral support through all this.

"Thanks," Draco said, hoping Harry would know he really meant it.

"For what?"

"For everything – being completely honest with me, helping with the pain, being so kind to me after all the history we have between us."

Harry just looked at Draco, not sure what to say. He could tell by the look in Draco's eyes that he really meant what he said. Their eyes locked, neither could move. Neither could look away as if there was some unseen force holding them completely still.

Draco was the first to look away. He looked down at his leg and back to Harry, as if expecting Harry to make some joke or comment about the fact that most of it was missing. As Harry opened his mouth, he braced himself for what Harry was going to say.

"Things will get better, I promise you. I'll make sure of it and help you through it along the way."

That was the last thing Draco expected to hear. He couldn't handle it. Someone being so nice to him, supporting him, especially someone who he had been so mean to in the past. Draco broke down crying, unable to help it. Maybe things would get better, Draco thought to himself, Maybe they would actually become friends after all. As the tears slowed down he saw Harry smile at him as he left Draco's room. He hoped to be able to talk to him tomorrow, and maybe get to know the real Harry. If that happened then he would believe that things could start getting better for him.

hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd

**A/N:** Sorry for it taking so long for me to update the story! Been working like crazy so it has cut down the amount of time I have to write. Hope it won't take me so long to update the next chapter! Also want to say, just got a new beta and want to thank her so much for all her help! As usual reviews and comments are appreciated. If you have questions about the story feel free to email me, message me on here, or leave it in the reviews and I will answer them :)


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter (even if I wish I did). JK Rowling is the owner, and this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by her and her publishers. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This is all for fun.

**Change in Life, Change in Love**

**Chapter 4: Last Light**

_I need to know that there is trophy and meaning  
to all that we lose and all we fight for  
to all our loves and our wars  
keep breathing  
keep living  
keep searching  
keep pushing on  
keep bleeding  
keep healing  
keep fading  
keep shining on  
this is for the hearts still beating_

_**Converge - "Last Light"**_

_Dear Hermione,_

_ Some things have come up and I am now living at Grimmauld Place. It is so weird being here without Sirius. I am writing to you for some help. There is a wizard living here with me who lost a leg from a Muggle accident. The wizard was in hiding and was taken to a Muggle hospital. By the time he was found Muggles had already done surgery. I want to help him through this but not sure how. That is why I am writing to you. Right now he is stuck in bed. I am trying to think of simple ways to help him with mobility. I've looked into wizard medical devices, but there doesn't seem to be anything that would work. The other thing is he has been suffering from phantom pain, where he still feels parts of his leg even though it is gone. I know you have been talking about becoming a healer and studying Muggle medicine as well. Any help you can give would be great. I really want to help him through this. _

_ -Harry_

_P.S. How is your summer so far?_

As Harry was sending the letter off with Hedwig, he heard Draco scream. As Harry rushed into Draco's room he found him curled into a ball crying softly and muttering phrases that Harry could relate to.

"Please Father, stop. I'm sorry I will do better to make you proud... Please don't leave me in here all alone. I will do anything."

Harry could relate to that. Feeling scared, helpless and all alone; feeling pain all over again from the memories of abuse. Had Draco been abused too? Harry thought to himself. Harry could also relate to the feelings nightmares. He had many of those. Lately most had been about Sirius' death, but he still had the occasional ones about Voldemort and the Dursley's abuse.

Slowly Harry reached his hand out to calm Draco. Harry was startled when Draco flinched violently at the touch, which caused Draco to fall off the bed. Harry rushed over to Draco and slowly whispered and comforted him, not wanting to startle him again.

"I'm so sorry Draco, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just me, Harry."

"Harry?" Draco asked softly, confusion evident on his face.

"Yes, Harry. Remember you are living at my godfather- I mean my house for now?"

Draco slowly looked up at Harry and nodded. Harry gently helped Draco into the bed and cast a pain relieving spell on his leg. Draco instantly relaxed. As Harry was heading towards the door, he heard Draco call for him.

"Sorry I have been a pain and a bother lately, but will you stay here tonight? I don't feel much like being alone right now." Draco had asked, not making eye contact with Harry.

"Sure," Harry replied with a soft smile.

He settled into the chair next to Draco's bed, and Draco visibly relaxed.

"Thanks," Draco said sleepily. "This probably isn't how you planned to spend your summer..."

Harry thought about how this was turning into a better summer than he could ever have imagined, but before he could respond to Draco, he saw Draco had drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd

Harry was woken up the next day by the sound of tapping on glass. He looked up and saw Hedwig and quickly let her in before she woke up Draco. He took the letter from Hedwig and was happy to see it was a response from Hermione. Harry left Draco's room and went into the kitchen to make some tea as he settled in to read the letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_ I have enclosed some information I have found so far, but I plan on doing even more research on this and will update you with what I find. Is this wizard someone we know? Someone from the Order? How could Dumbledore let someone from the Order get treated in a Muggle hospital? I've let Ron know you are at Grimmauld Place. He'll want to come visit you. I also want to visit and help this wizard. I want to try putting what I read into action and study to see how it works but don't wait for me to start helping whoever it is. Read through the articles. Don't just skim through them like you and Ron usually do when it comes to reading materials. _

_Much of what I have found has dealt with muggle medications but as you know, that is not an option. I did find a few options that might work, however. The first is acupuncture of what remains of the limb. It is said that it helps with the phantom pain, but it is unsure if it will help in the long term with ending the pain. The second option has more of a long term effect. It is called mirror therapy. The mirror tricks the brain into "seeing" the amputated leg, overriding mismatched nerve signals. Here's how it works: The patient sits on a flat surface with his or her remaining leg straight out and then puts a 6-foot mirror lengthwise facing the limb. The patient moves the leg, flexing it, and watches the movement in the mirror. The reflection creates the illusion of two legs moving together. The studies I have read about this say that it has decreased the phantom pain in almost 100% of everyone who has used this method. Some have even said that that over time the phantom pain has ended completely. I think this sounds like the best method and I would love to help with this. The third and last option I have found is more of a sensation therapy. It is basically getting the nerves and brain used to where the leg ends by feeling or sensation. What you can do is gently pour something like sand over the residual limb/stump. This allows the nerves to feel where they actually end, because phantom pain is cause by nerves still thinking they are connected to the rest of the leg and they send that message to the brain which causes the pain. Hope this helps you Harry._

_ -Hermione_

Harry sat in his room making a list of things he would need from London. He wanted to get some things to help Draco, such as crutches, and a mirror to try out the mirror therapy. He had already helped Draco try the sensation therapy and it seemed to work well for the time being. Draco had also told Harry about all his stuff still being at the small flat he was renting. So part of the trip to London would be to get Draco his things. Hopefully he would start feeling more at ease if he had familiar items around him.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Harry ran down the step to greet Tonks as she walked through the door.

"How are you Tonks?" Harry asked while giving her a hug in greeting.

"I can't complain. How is my little cousin?"

"Cousin?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yes, my mum was a Black, remember? I was related to Sirius. Draco's mum is a Black." Tonks smiled as she watched Harry putting two and two together.

"He's doing okay I think, although he is having some trouble. That's why I want to go to London - to get his stuff and some things to help him out with all this. Wait, who is going to stay there with him?" Just as Harry asked that he noticed two people behind Tonks.

"I'm Lucas Cauldwell, one of the newest Order members and this is my sister Lauren."

"Ren," said the girl with hair that could give Tonks a run for her galleons.

"Ren is the one who alerted me to Draco being in the hospital. Figured she could stay with Draco while we accompany you to London. Snape will also be stopping by later on to check on Draco."

Harry showed Ren where Draco was and, after talking with Tonks about the places they needed to go for what he needed, they set off.

Draco sat in his bed writing in a notebook Harry had given him. He was grateful to Harry for offering to get his things, what he wouldn't give for all of his clothes back instead of wearing the same things day after day, but he was also kinda upset that he would be left alone. A few weeks ago Draco would have been happy to be alone, but now it scared him.

Draco looked towards the door at the sound of someone knocking.

"Come in," he said, putting the notebook down. He was expecting it to be Harry saying goodbye but when he looked up he got a welcome surprise.

"Ren!" Draco exclaimed.

"How are you doing, kiddo?" Ren ask, sitting on the bed beside Draco.

"Honestly, doing much better. Being here with Harry has helped so much. He was even able to get some of my phantom pain to go down."

"That's great to hear. You know who Harry kinda looks like?"

"Aidan. I know. I kinda think that's what drew me to Aidan in the first place... How is Aidan?"

"He's good, been worried about you, but I haven't told him about you being a wizard, just that you are doing well and been moved to somewhere that can give you better treatment. He is about to go on a tour with his band I'll tell him you said hi."

"Thanks," Draco said smiling at Ren.

They talked for a while more about nothing and everything all at once. It was a nice break for Draco. It was during this chat that Ren was the very first person who saw Draco for his true self, and not the person he pretended to be to please his father and the other Slytherins. She was the first person that became friends with him for who he was and not because of who his family was. Draco hoped he could form that kind of relationship with Harry. They had become friends, but not close. They weren't at the point where Draco felt he could share his deep secrets.

After an hour of chat and lunch brought in by Kreature (which startled Ren), they heard footsteps walking around. Draco assumed it was Harry putting away all the items he bought, until he saw the red hair in the doorway.

"What the fuck are you doing in here and where the fuck is Harry?" Ron spat at Draco holding his wand at him. Ren had backed towards the corner of the room, unsure what was happening.

"Harry is shopping in London with Tonks," Draco tried to say as calmly as possible.

"And he left you here in Sirius' house? Yea right," Ron continues his raging, "Tell me where he is now!"

"He is with Tonks. Please believe me," Draco was starting to freak out.

"Just shut up and stand up. We are going to Dumbledore."

"I can't stan-" Draco tried to explain but Ron interrupted.

"I SAID SHUT UP," He yelled, sending a Stunning spell at Draco and for the second time in less than a month he heard Ren scream before falling unconscious as he felt the spell hit his chest sending him falling backwards off the bed.

BA/N:/B Hey all sorry for the long delay in the chapter! Been super busy. I promise I will update more frequently. I am on pottermore, so feel free to add me MoonstoneStorm16. Also want to thank my Beta's. I love you guys! As always, reviews and critiques are appreciated!


End file.
